Day 6 – Experience 14 Days of Fresh Air

Don’t Forget the Most Important Words of All

by Chris Hodges

John 1:1-5 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Imagine coming home to discover that your spouse has sent the kids to their grandparents and a special dinner for two awaits you. There’s candlelight and soft music playing, and your spouse has dressed in your favorite outfit. Would you respond by saying, “Again? Do we have to have another romantic dinner and kiss and stuff? Okay, whatever . . .” That would be pretty insulting, wouldn’t it? I wonder if God feels that way when we regard his Word so dispassionately.

The Bible is obviously indispensable to the Christian faith; if you attempt to follow Jesus without it, you’re not going to get very far. But the Bible is much more than an ancient manual full of historical stories and dos and don’ts. It’s a divine wind machine, inflating our sails with God’s breath, giving us direction and purpose, and propelling us forward. Jesus said, “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit [breath] and they are life” (John 6:63, emphasis mine. In the original Greek language, which the New Testament was written in, the word spirit literally means “breath.”)

Jesus is telling us that his words, the messages that he came to deliver, are not normal words. Basically he’s saying, “These words I’ve spoken to you are breath, a blast of wind to give you life.” Or put another way, “My words are fresh air for you.” It can transform the way you live and help you discern what’s from God and what’s not. There’s nothing too difficult, too painful, too embarrassing, too human, or too earthy for it to address. The people populating its pages can inspire you, coach you, challenge you, instruct you, and sometimes amaze you if you let them.

So if you want to experience transformation in your life, if you want to live a vibrant adventure instead of spin circles in the doldrums, read your Bible—it’s alive and the only Book that ultimately matters. It will propel you forward as you start to live what you’ve read.